Angela Pleasence

Angela Pleasence
Pleasence in 1974
Born	Daphne Anne Angela Pleasence (1941-09-30) 30 September 1941 Chapeltown, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1964–present
Parent(s)	Donald Pleasence Miriam Raymond

Daphne Anne Angela Pleasence (born 30 September 1941) is an English actress. Trained in theatre, Pleasence's first major film role came in Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973), followed by roles in horror films such as From Beyond the Grave and Symptoms (1974).

She worked extensively in television productions and British miniseries throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She had minor roles in the films The Search for John Gissing (2001), Gangs of New York (2002), and The Gigolos (2005).

Biography

Pleasence was born in Chapeltown, Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, to Miriam Raymond and actor Donald Pleasence. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and made her stage debut in 1964 as Titania in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She appeared extensively in London theatre productions throughout the 1970s.

She is known for her performance as Catherine Howard in the 1970 BBC serial The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Other television credits include Dixon of Dock Green Alice 1976 Les Misérables, The Barchester Chronicles (alongside her father), Mansfield Park, Silas Marner, Midsomer Murders, Whitechapel, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Agatha Christie's Marple. In 1978, she voiced the role of Ophelia in a BBC radio play production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

She is also noted for her roles in horror films of the 1970s, including From Beyond the Grave, Symptoms and The Godsend. She made a guest appearance in the parody series Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible satirising her earlier performances.

She has also appeared as the Ghost of Christmas Past in the 1984 holiday television film A Christmas Carol, Sister Cecilia in Stealing Heaven (1988), a crowd member in Martin Scorsese's 2002 crime drama Gangs of New York, Elizabeth I in the 2007 Doctor Who episode "The Shakespeare Code", and Winnie in the BBC drama Happy Valley (2016).

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1967	Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush	Scruffy Girl
1969	Destiny of a Spy	Peace Girl	Television film
1970	The Six Wives of Henry VIII	Catherine Howard	Miniseries
1973	The Love Ban	Mick's Secretary
1973	Hitler: The Last Ten Days	Traudel
1974	From Beyond the Grave	Emily Underwood
1974	Symptoms	Helen
1978	Les Misérables	Fantine	Television film
1980	The Godsend	The Stranger
1982	The Barchester Chronicles	Mrs Grantly	Miniseries
1983	Mansfield Park	Lady Bertram	Miniseries
1984	A Christmas Carol	Ghost of Christmas Past
1985	Silas Marner	Molly	Television film
1986	Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna	Clara	Television film
1988	Stealing Heaven	Sister Cecilia
1989	Somewhere to Run	Anita Fitzpatrick	Television film
1991	The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish	Louis's Sister
1996	September	Lottie	Television film
1997	The Pig's Family	Rosie	Short film
1998	Cider with Rosie Midsomer Murders	Crabby Doris Winstanley	Television film Episode: "Death of a Hollow Man"
2001	The Search for John Gissing	Johanna Frielduct
2002	Gangs of New York	Woman Accomplice
2004	Agatha Christie's Marple	Miss Hartnell	Episode: "The Murder at the Vicarage"
2005	The Gigolos	Joy
2007	Doctor Who	Queen Elizabeth I	Episode: "The Shakespeare Code"
2008	Agatha Christie’s Poirot	Nanny	Episode: "Appointment with Death"
2009	Casualty	Catherine	Episode: "All You Need Is Love"
2011	Your Highness	Mother
2011	The Sarah Jane Adventures	Mystic Mags	Episode: The Curse of Clyde Langer (Part 2)
2013	Whitechapel	Louise Iver
2016	Happy Valley	Winnie	Miniseries

References

Bibliography

• Hill, Holly (1993). Playing Joan: Actresses on the Challenge of Shaw's Saint Joan. Theatre Communications Group. ISBN 978-0-9304-5264-3.

External links

• Angela Pleasence at IMDb